crh2016f150

Okay, I just bought a new 2016 F-150 and am confused on the towing capacity. It is a 2 wheel drive with a 3.5L non turbo (base) engine with 6 speed auto transmission. According to the sticker on my pillar it has an axle code of 19 and according to a site I found on the Internet this means it is a 3.55 axle. I thought the max trailer weight was 7,600 lbs. However, when i was doing some research to confirm this I found a table that said with the 3.55 axle, the max trailer weight is 5,000 lbs. I hope this is incorrect and the towing capacity really is 7,600 lbs like all the Ford literature states (regardless of the axle). Or did I decipher the axle code wrong and it really isn't a 3.55 axle?

Ricktwuhk

What does your door sticker state for payload?

crh2016f150

I don't see payload specifically. Here is the door sticker.

Norotso

Sticker should be yellow and mention cargo capacity

smokeywren

You're misreading something, somewhere.


Your truck with 3.55 axle has a tow rating of 4,900 pounds. With the 3.73 axle ratio, the tow rating varies from 7,000 to 7,500, depending on cab, bed, and 4x4 or 4x2. None have 7,600 tow rating.


Details are in the 2016 Ford RV and Trailer Towing Guide, which is available as a 32-page PDF file. You can download that file from Ford.com. Look on page 17 for your F-150.


The tow rating is misleading. You can tow 4,900 pound TT without being overloaded only if there is absolutely no weight in the pickup except a skinny driver, and provided your tongue weight is not more than 500 pounds. But you will probably want to haul a passenger or two, plus some tools and a jack to change a trailer tire, and the tongue weight of a 4,900 pound TT will be more than 500 pounds. So your real-world towing capacity is closer to 4,000 pounds.


Last week I ordered a new family car, a 2017 Flex with your drivetrain except front wheel drive (FWD). The Flex tow rating is 4,500 pounds with the towing pkg and a weight-distributing hitch. (FWD requires a weight-distributing hitch to distribute some of the hitch weight to the front axle.) I don't plan to tow with it, other than maybe towing my empty cargo and utility trailers to town to get the required annual inspections. (Texas requires an annual inspection of all trailers before they will renew the trailer license plates, to be sure the brakes and all the lights work as designed.) My TT weighs 4,870 pounds when wet and loaded for the road, so maybe I could remove the weight from the "basement" and get the weight down so I could tow it to town to get the annual inspection. But I still have my F-150, so I don't really have to tow anything with the Flex. But I ordered the towing pkg "just in case".

marshallr

That truck, with that engine isn't intended to tow anything much on a regular basis. It'll handle a small utility trailer loaded with lawn mowers or ATV's occasionally. It'd probably handle a small popup, but that is about it.

Even most of the trucks with more powerful engines will max out at around 7000-8000 lbs unless ordered carefully.

acdii

Wow, Ford is still making the Flex? Color me surprised, thought for sure 2016 would be the last year. I pulled my horse trailer with a 2013 EB Limited, and it pulled it fine. It has a 3500# curb and had at least 1000# in it.

Bafflingbs

Without a weight distributing hitch, the max you can safely tow, is listed on a sticker underneath your hitch. Which, with a class IV hitch, you're limited to 5,000lbs/ 500lbs. Tongue weight. Unless you have the max tow package, which I'm guessing you do not. If you have a sport package, it will be lower still. Have yet to figure that out. Anyway, to be sure about your tow weight, call Ford customer support and ask them, based upon your VIN. It's also listed here somewhere as well. The yellow sticker previously mentioned, states your payload number. Mine is 1907lbs. This means that I can carry 1,907 lbs. in my truck, which includes people and things riding in it. So, if yours says 1,500, and you have 1,200 in payload, than you can only have a tongue weight of 300 on your trailer.

smokeywren

Yeah, but they were very slow in opening the order bank for the 2017 model. It was after the middle of October before my dealer could order mine. But Toyota and Honda were also late in opening their order banks for the Highlander and Pilot. All three were on my shopping list, so I ordered the first one that was available, which turned out to be the Flex.


Why would Ford and Toyota and Honda all be late in producing their 2017 mid-size/large crossover SUVs? There were no changes to the 2017 Flex compared to the 2016 model (other than the new color of white gold, which I ordered). Love that white gold color. Of course I haven't seen it on a Flex, but the dealer in Midland has an F-250 with that color. DW saw that pickup in white gold and declared that was her color.

Rendrag

To the OP, I have that drivetrain and would not want to tow more than about 3,000 pounds with mine. Even then, it will require a lot of rpm's to get over modest hills. I am disappointed and looking at other engine options at this time.